Combination heater and water knockout apparatus for treating oil well streams



Apnl 9, 1946. J. P. WALKER 2,398,338

COMBINATION HEATER AND WATER KNOCKOUT APPARATUS FOR TREATING OIL WELL STREAMS Original Filed Aug. 1, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvwvbw 2 day P. Walker J. V P. WALKER April 9, 1946.

COMBINATION HEATER AND WATER KNOCKOUT APPARATUS FOR TREATING OIL WELL STREAMS Original Filed Aug. 1, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 pifllllrlllflilliill grvue/wl'ob .day P Walker Aprll 9, 1946. J. P. WALKER 2,393,333

COMBINATION HEATER AND WATER KNOCKOUT APPARATUS FOR TREATING OIL WELL STREAMS Original Filed Aug. 1, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 1%46 COMBINATION HEATER AND WATER KNocKoU'r arraua'rus FOR TREAT- ING on. WELL STREAMS Jay P. Walker, Tulsa, Okla, assignor of forty per cent to Guy 0. Mai-chant and six per cent to C. G. Wells, both of Tulsa, Okla.

Continuation of application Serial No. 349,382, August 1, 1940. This application October 16, 1942, Serial No. 462,300

11 Claims. (Cl. 210-495) This invention relates to new and useful imcombination water knockout and heater and a provements in combination heater and water settling tank and involving a thermo-syphonic knockout apparatuses for treating oil well flow,

streams. Figure 4 is a similar view of another form of One object of the invention is to provide an 5 hook-up, and

improved apparatus adapted to be used with Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form of settling tanks where such tanks do not have a the invention.

heater and, owing to changed well conditions, This application is filed as a continuation of it becomes necessary to add a heater; coupled my copending application, Serial No. 349,382, with the fact that a large and frequently an inm filed August 1, 1940.

creased percentage of water will be produced with In the drawings, the numeral Ill designates the oil. an upright tank having a crowned top H and a A further object of the invention is to provide dished bottom I2 supported on an annular base an apparatus, as above set forth, wherein free l3. An influent flume M (Fi u es 1 a d water is removed in advance of the heater so as pends axially through the top H into a water to materially reduce the load on the heater, as knockout container or chamber i5. which is well as on the settling tank, and at the same time formed in the upper half or section of the tank by assure a treating combination of adequate capaca cross partition or head It, which latter is dished ity. or concave-convex. The container l5 may be a Still another object of the invention is to pro- 29 separate structure. The term water knockout vide a heater and water knockout combination is common in the oil industry and designates a capable of handling large and increasing Volumes container wherein free water is separated from of free water, which may be used where a treatthe oil or knocked out of the oil. ing plant becomes overloaded and begins to make The fiume dep a Substantial distance bad oil. ially down into the chamber l5 and has a hooded An important object of the invention is to progas vent l i just under the top 8 I. The upper end vide improved apparatus including a settlin of the fiume is closed by a cap l8 having a gas tank and involving thermo-syphonic circulation, outlet pipe l9, while the infiuent pipe 20 for the and wherein substantially all of the free water is well stream enters said flume just below the cap. first extracted and the residual liquids are then 30 The gas outlet pipe may include the usual gas heated, or wherein only enough water is heated pressure regulating valve (not shown). At its to heat the emulsion itself; such apparatus being lower end the fiume has a spreader 2! below an capable of efiectually handling large and inannular deflecting flange 22. The lower end of creasing amounts of free water flowing with the F the flume is immersed in a body of water B, and

well stream. which may be referred to as a water zone.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the An upper water circulating pipe 23 extends waste heat from the heater to warm accumulated horizontally through the side wall of the tank water in the knockout to aid in the removal of and has its inner end supported by the flume and free water. 7 is provided with apertures 24 to form an upper A further object of the invention is to provide 40 outlet nozzle. A lower water circulating pipe 25. an improved system involving a heater and water extending across the bottom of the chamber, has knockout combination, which may be operated apertures 26 and forms a lower inlet nozzle. The under pressure above atmospheric to prevent the pipes 23 and 25 connect with the upper and lower liquids in the system contacting atmosphere durends of a water jacket 2! surrounding an upright ing their flow through the system. stack 28. The water in the jacket 21 will be A construction .designed to carry out the inheated by the stack 28, whereby an upward flow vention will be hereinafter described, together in said jacket will be established, causing water with other features of the invention. to be drawn in through the nozzle 25 and dis- The invention will be more readily understood charged through the nozzle 23. This arrangefrom a reading of the following specification and ment sets up a thermo-syphonic circulation. The by reference to the accompanying drawings, in parts are so arranged and proportioned as to which an example of the invention is shown, and maintain an approximate water level, whereby wherein: the body or zone of water is maintained. The

Figure 1 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view infiuent from the flume discharges well within of a combined water knockout and heater conthis body of water, thereby spreading and washstructed in accordance with the invention, ing the emulsion mixture. The separated oil Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, collects in a body or zone A and floats upon the taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, body of water. a

Figure 3 is a view, partly in section and partly The arrangement allows the waste heat from in elevation, illustrating a -up between the the stack 28 to heat the influent within the water water is promoted and enhanced.

The waste heat from the stack adequately heats the influent mixture., The' influent may be heated in any desirable manner or the influent may be passed around the stack prior to its introduction into the flume H in order to heat said influent, as illustrated in Figure .5. Gas separated from the mixture escape through the vent l1 into the upper end of the ilume and out through the pipe IS. A transverse filter 28 may be mounted in the water zone below the spreader. Substantially all or the major portion of the free water will be extracted in the water knockout chamber and the heating or th water will promote this extraction. The free water which is extracted in the chamber I is syphoned therefrom through a pipe 38' extending through the tank wall. An inverted V-tube 3| is hinged to the pipe 30 and to the upper end of a down pipe 33. A vent hose 32 extends from the tube to an elbow 36 in the top H of the tank. By swinging the V-tube, the water level in the chamber may be controlled. A diaphragm valve operator 34 is connected in the pipe 33 in advance of a valve 31 and has an equalizing pipe 35 connected with the elbow. This form of water discharge is well known in the art.

Below the partition IS the tank is formed with a heater chamber 38, which may be a separate container. This portion of the apparatus is referred to as a heater. A down pipe 38 on the outside of the tank has its upper end connected in the side wall at the oil zone- A and its lower end attached to a nozzle 40 extending into and across the bottom of the heater chamber. This pipe maintains an oil level in the chamber i5. whereby the body of oil or oil zone is provided. The pipe includes a reverse flow check valve 4|. The chamber has an outlet or discharge pipe 42 at its top just below the partition 16.

48, whereby the clean oil is collected in a. body on top of the oil just under the partition it.

' down into the water zone C formed by a body or water. The fium has an annular spreader 54 on its lower end, whereby the oil is spread .and

A manhole cover 43 is mounted at one side of the heater and carries a V-shaped or return-bend tubular flue or fire tube 44 having a suitable fuel burner 45. The stack 28 rises from the upper leg of the fire tube and the structure may be inserted and removed as a unit. The tube is trans versely disposed across the chamber 38 in an upright firebox formed by vertical side plates 46 (Figure 2). These plates terminate short of the upper and lower ends of the heater chamber on each side of the fire tube. A deflector 41 is disposed along the underside of the lower leg of the fire tube. Bafile plates 48 are mounted along each side of the nozzle 40 which has its perforations in its under portion whereby the numerous stream flowing upwardly will be deflected by said baflles. A drain pipe 49 including a valve 50 leads from the bottom l2.

While free water is extracted or separated from the emulsion mixture in the water knockout chamber IS, the oil collected in the zone A is roily or emulsified, so that the water admixed therewith must be separated therefrom in order to produce clean oil. The oil overflowing from zone A is con, ducted by pipe 39 and discharged from the nozzle 40 into a body of washing water in the heater chamber 38. This body of water is heated by the tube 44. The oil flows upwardly through the aid body of ,water and is bafiled and washed. The

washing action is accentuated by the thermosyphonic circulation setup by the vertical plates 46. The capacity of the chamber 38 and the supply of liquids thereto, is such a to maintain a water level adjacent the upper ends 01' the plates again washed in the settling chamber. The washing done in the heater may be more or less limited. as the major Washing operation is performed in the settling tank, because of it larger size and the preheating carried out in the heater. The washed oil, which collects in a body above the body of water in an oil zone D, is drawn of! from the settling tank through a pipe 55.

In Figure 4, another hook-up is shown'. Here the roily. oil is taken direct from the knockout chamber i5 by way of a pipe 56 to the ilume 5i. The heater chamber 38 is used strictly as a water heater by connecting the pipe 42 into the settling tank 53 at the top of the water zone C. A return pipe 51 including a back flow check valve 58 extends from the tank at the lower portion of the water zone and connects to the nozzle 48. The

hot liquid flowing from the heater by way of the.

pipe 42 and colder liquid returning through the pipe 51 sets up a thermo-syphonic flow.- If desired the plates 46 may be omitted in this form.

It is pointed out that the water knockout chamber, as well as the heater chamber, may be maintained under a pressure above atmospheric, whereby neither the oil or the separated water are contacted by the atmosphere, before settling'out in the settling chamber. Also, if desired, the settling tank may be held under a pressure above atmospheric, whereby aeration of the separated water is prevented. Thus, it will be seen that it is within the scope of the present invention to carry out the cycle under pressure above atmospheric.

In setting up the apparatus it is preferable to provide the body of water B in the chamber I 5 used. Of course, after the initial operation the bodies of water, emulsion mixture and oil, re-

main constant, unless for some purpose the vessels are drained. These apparatuses are usually operated periodically, ceasing to operate when the well or wells are shut down. It would be possible to flow the emulsified oil stream into empty vessels and thereby accumulate the various bodies of liquids, but the apparatus would not reach normal operation until such bodies of liquids were provided.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

emulsified oil from said body of water, conducting the oil into a settling tank having therein a body of water and a body of oil floating on said body of water, washing the conducted oil in said body in said tank, collecting the washed oil in said tank, and discharging the washed oil from the tank.

2. An apparatus for treating oil well emulsions fiowing in a stream which includes, a settling tank having a body of water and a body of oil therein, a separating vessel having a body of water therein and means for separating oil and water and also an inlet for a well stream, a heater, means connected with the separating vessel for utilizing the waste heat from the heater to heat the body of water in said separating vessel and to cause a continuous circulation of said water, means for discharging excess water from said body of water in said separating vessel, means for discharging oil from said separating vessel, and means for conducting discharged oil into the body of water in said settling tank.

3. The combination with a settling tank having a body of water and a body of oil therein and an upright conductor extending down through the oil body into the water body, of an emulsion treating tank spaced from the settling tank and having an upper separating chamber and a lower washing chamber, an inlet conductor connected with the separating chamber, a water discharge extending from the lower portion of the separating chamber, an oil conductor leading from the upper portion of the separating chamber to the lower part of the washing chamber of the emulsion treating tank, a heater in the washing chamber, and a conductor leading from the upper part of the washing chamber to the condoctor of the settling tank.

4. In an oil well emulsion treating apparatus, the combination of two vessels spaced apart, one of said vessels having an inlet for an emulsified well stream in its upper part and a heater in its lower part for heating the liquids of the well stream together with means for separating and drawing oil? water separated from the well stream, the other vessel having a body of water and a body of oil floating on the water therein, a conductor carried by said other vessel and extending down through the body of oil and into the body of water therein, means for conducting oil from the first vessel to the conductor of said other vessel, an upper pipe connecting the lower part of the first vessel with the lower part of the second vessel to conduct heated water from the lower part of the first vessel to the lower part of the second vessel, a return pipe connecting the lower portions of the vessels at a lower level than the upper pipe for returning water from the second vessel to the first, whereby a circulation of heated water is maintained between the bodies of water in the lower portions of the vessels, and means for carrying off oil from the second vessel.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first vessel is provided with means for segregating the oil from the circulated water.

6. The method of treating oil well emulsion streams which includes, flowing the emulsion stream from the well, first discharging the stream into a body of heated water and separating free water therefrom by gravitation, separately carrying oil separated water, collecting the emulsified oil on said body of water, conducting the emulsified oil to a second body of water and washing it upwardly therethrough, heating the water in such second body and circulating it first out of and then into the path of the upwardly flowing emulsion, collecting the washed oil, conducting the washed oil into a third body of water and conducting it upwardly therethrough to settle out extraneous matter and to further dehydrate the oil.

7. In combination, a combined free water separator and heater unit including a heating element in the heater of the unit, means connected to the heater and positioned so as to utilize the waste heat from said heating element to heat and circulate the emulsified oil introduced into the separator of the unit, means for introducing emulsified oil into the free water separator, a settling tank having a body of water therein, means for conducting oil from the combined free water separator and heater unit to said settling tank, means for conveying the conducted oil down into the body of water in said tank, means for discharging the oil separated from the water in said tank, and means for circulating water from the body of water in the settling tank to the heater.

8. An apparatus of the character described, including a separating chamber having a predetermined body of water therein, said chamber having an inlet for the admission of a stream of emulsified oil and an outlet for excess water accumulated therein, means in said chamber for separating the oil and water in said stream, a settling chamber having a body of water therein, means for introducing oil from the separating chamber into the settling chamber, means for heating the liquid in the settling chamber and having an outlet for the escape of waste heat therefrom, a liquid conduit connected to the separating chamber and disposed in heat exchange relation with the waste heat passage of the heater so as to heat the emulsified oil introduced into the separating chamber, and means for carrying oil the accumulated oil from the settling chamber.

9. An apparatus of the character set forth in claim 8, wherein means is provided for causing a circulation of the emulsified oil introduced into the separating chamber.

10. An apparatus of the character set forth in claim 8, wherein means is provided for causing a circulation of the emulsified oil introduced into the settling chamber.

11. A method of treating oil well emulsion streams, which includes heating a body of liquid contained in confined space having an inlet and an outlet, utilizing the waste heat from the said first confined space for heating and circulating a liquid contained in a second confined space having an inlet and an outlet, introducing an emulsified stream of oil into the heated liquid in the second confined space through the inlet of the latter, separating free water from the emulsified oil by gravitation in said second confined space while said emulsified oil is in contact with said heated and circulated liquid, conducting the separatecFoil from the second confined space into contact with the heated liquid in the first confined space so as to wash said separated oil, and then conducting the separated oil out of the first confined space.

JAY P. WALKER. 

